Boda Boda Riders Set Ablaze Another Matatu In Gitaru
Traffic was halted along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway in Gitaru on Wednesday, December 31, when boda boda riders set fire to a 14-seater matatu said to be owned by the NNK SACCO.
The incident occurred when the matatu struck and killed one of their colleagues, a 22-year-old rider who was delivering carpet.
According to eyewitnesses, the matatu collided with the rider while making a turn in a dangerous area, causing outrage among fellow boda boda operators.
The irate motorcyclists reportedly stopped the road before setting fire to the truck, causing considerable traffic delays and drawing a big crowd to the scene.
Sad scenes at Gitaru Interchange, Kikuyu, on Wednesday.
— Eagle News Feed (@eagle_feed) December 31, 2025
A matatu was set on fire after it allegedly knocked down and killed a 22-year-old boda boda rider who was making a delivery.
Witnesses say the matatu driver was on the wrong side of the road and tried to make a turn at… pic.twitter.com/kJTt1Jn6xW
Images and videos released online showed the matatu entirely engulfed in flames, with thick smoke pouring from the wreckage along the busy Nairobi-Nakuru highway.
Onlookers stared in disbelief as no one attempted to salvage the vehicle. There was no evident presence of police or firefighters as the matatu burned.
The new incident contributes to a rising trend of vigilantism, with boda boda riders routinely accused of taking matters into their own hands following accidents.
The boisterous bodas frequently set fire to vehicles rather than allowing officials to handle the matter.
Just days before the Gitaru tragedy, on December 22, a gang of boda boda operators set fire to a Mash Poa bus after a fatal accident.
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The crash occurred at Salgaa along the Nakuru–Mau Summit road, claiming the life of a boda boda rider.
Enraged by the death of their colleague, fellow riders retaliated by torching the bus, which was en route to Kampala, Uganda, at the time.
Photos and videos from the scene showed the bus completely engulfed in flames, with thick smoke rising into the sky, drawing crowds of onlookers who watched as the vehicle burned.
A Super Metro matatu was set ablaze in Juja after hitting a motorcycle rider, killing him on the spot. This rising trend of vigilantism among boda riders is getting out of hand… @ntsa_kenya @NPSOfficial_KE https://t.co/xXv5gYSuT3 pic.twitter.com/Rd5QVx8UsE
— Road Sense Kenya – RSK (@roadsensekenya) September 1, 2025
Last month, on November 14, a mob of boda boda riders set a 33-seater minibus on fire after it reportedly ran over one of their colleagues near Mama Lucy Hospital in Embakasi Central, Nairobi.
Boda Boda Riders Set Ablaze Another Matatu In Gitaru
